Diver{3 s air tank protective cap

ABSTRACT

A diver&#39;&#39;s air tank protective cap that is made of resilient material and is fitted on the bottom of an air tank to prevent the bottom of the air tank from direct and injurious contact with sand, rocks or the like. The protective cap has a resilient body that is spaced from the side of the tank by water carrying channels, and has a bottom rim and band with ridges that fit over the bottom rim edge of the tank, such as an aluminum tank or the like, and protects the tanks while passing water through the channels and through holes in the band. This allows the tank with the protective cap to be effectively used in storage or in the water.

iliie Sttes t Elke Dec. 30, 1975 [54] DIVERS AIR TANK PROTECTIVE CAP [21] Appl. No.: 483,967

[52] US. Cl. 248/3461 [51] Int. Cl. A47G 29/02 [58] Field of Search 248/346, 346.1, 309, 310,

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brown & Martin [57] ABSTRACT A divers air tank protective cap that is made of resilient material and is fitted on the bottom of an air tank to prevent the bottom of the air tank from direct and injurious contact with sand, rocks or the like. The protective cap has a resilient body that is spaced from the side of the tank by water carrying channels, and has a bottom rim and band with ridges that fit over the bottom rim edge of the tank, such as an aluminum tank or the like, and protects the tanks while passing water through the channels and through holes in the band. This allows the tank with the protective cap to be effectively used in storage or in the water.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 3,929,312

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DIVERS AIR TANK PROTECTIVE CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

Applicant in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,353 patented a tank protector that fits tightly over the end of the tank in the form of a cap. This tank protector cap has a centered bottom end portion for supporting the tank and holding the end of the tank spaced above the ground. While this tank protector provided protection for tanks having a large radius bottom, such as steel tanks and the like, the newer aluminum compressed air tanks have a bottom edge surface with a smaller radius.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The new tank protector of this invention has a circumferential wall with longitudinal ribs that grip the tank end with a reduced actual contact area, and yet provides space between the ribs for water to pass there through. The bottom end of the wall is formed into a rim that has an inwardly extending band. The band has a thickness substantially that of the wall. The upper surface of the bank adjacent the lower end of the tank has spaced, radially inwardly, directed ridges for supporting the lower end of the tank above the surface of the band. i

Holes are provided between the ridges for communicating with the channels to allow water to pass through the channels and out through the band. The ribs space the lower end of the tank sufficiently above these holes in the band and above the band surface to allow the free flow of water around the lower end of the tank and across the band to the holes. This protective cap is particularly adapted for use with aluminum air tanks having the relative small radius edges on the lower end thereof.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved resilient protective cap for a divers air tank.

Other objects and many advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and an examination of the drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. I is a side elevation view of the protective cap mounted on a typical aluminum type air tank.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cap.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to a portion of FIG. 3, with alternative external ridges.

Referring now to the drawing, the protective cap has a generally cylindrical outer and inner shape that fits on the lower end of an air tank 12. It will be noted that air tank 12 has a substantially uniform diameter throughout its length to its lower end, and has a relatively small radius 18. The protector cap 10 has a side wall 11 and a lower rim 32 that curves into a band 16. The inner wall surface has a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 28. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the ribs 28 have a triangular cross section with a flat end surface 29 and a flat bottom channel 30. The resilience of the material allows the ribs to deform slightly and the wall or body to stretch to fit tightly onto the tank. The upper flat surfaces 29 of the ribs 28 provide a gripping contact with the tank that has sufficient friction to hold the protector on the end of the tank 12 even when moving through the water. Yet the channels 30 conduct an easy flow of water through the protector and out holes 26. Itwill be noted that the thickness of the wallportion 11 is only slightly larger than the height of the rib 28. i I

The lower band 16 has a plurality of ridges 24 that extend radially inward fromtlhe wall portion 11 and ribs 28. The inner edge surface 22 of the band 16 provides an open space below the end of the tank 12, and the ridges 24 extend to substantially the inner edge 22 of the band 16. The band 16 has a plurality of holes 26 spaced between the ridges. These holes allow drainage of the water from the channels 30 through the band 16 between the respective ridges 24. It will be noted that the ridges 24 hold and support the lower end of the tank 12 in a spaced position above the surface of the band 16 for direct flow of the water through channels 30 to the holes.26. The band.l6 has substantially the same thickness as the wall 11 less the ribs 28.

The upper end of the protector 10 has a flange like portion that extends outwardly from the outer surface of the side wall 11. The outer edge of the flange portion has speced flat portions that prevent rolling of the protective cap and the enclosed aizr tank, when the combination is laying on a surface such as the ground.

The protector 10 is a unitary molded structure of resilient plastic material such as polyurethane or the like, that will conform to minor variations in tank size. The protector has a smooth surface that has little resistance to water flow. Thus the protector in use in the water causes no discomfort to the diver, and allows for free passage and little water resistance to the passage of water therethrough. When the tank and protector cap are removed from the water, then the protector provides a stable base for upright positioning of the tank, with any accumulated water passing directly out of the protector. So the protector can be left on the tank for storage or for use in the water.

In a modifiedembodiment, see FIG. 5, the lower end of the protector cap has spaced external ridges 34 and project downwardly from the bottom surface of band or ring portion 16. These ridges 34 have the same spacing as the upper ridges 24 and function to raise the band 16 off the surface supporting the protective cap and tank 12.

Having described my invention, I now claim: 1. A divers air tank protective cap made of resilient plastic material for attachment to the lower end of a divers compressed air tank, which cap can remain on the tank in storage or in use in the water comprising: a cylindrical body having a wall with a length substantially less than the length of the tank and longitudinally extending internal ribs projecting inwardly from said wall for engagement with and gripping the sides of the tank, the inner surface of the wall having water conducting channels between the ribs that are open at each end to allow water to flow directly therethrough,

said channels have a depth about equal to the thickness of said wall,

the bottom end of said body having a planar ground engaging circular rim,

said rim comprising a continuous band that extends radially inwardly forming a spaced centered openmg,

said band having spaced ridges on the upper surface thereof for being contacted by the lower end of the tank,

said band having spaced holes therethrough communicating with said channels for letting water flow through said body and out the bottom end thereof,

said ridges extending from said wall radially inwardly toward the center of said opening,

said ridges being spaced around said band in equally spaced distances, and said spaced holes being positioned between each of said ridges,

said band having a thickness of said wall,

and the other end of said wall portion having an outwardly projecting flange that projects outwardly from the outer surface of said wall, which flange has outer edge surfaces having spaced flat portions for preventing rolling of said cap and divers air tank.

2. A divers air tank protective cap according to claim 1 wherein:

said ribs have a substantially triangular cross-section with inner edges surfaces that conform to the outer wall surface of the tank in the gripping engagement with the wall of the tank.

3. A divers air tank protective cap made of resilient plastic material for attachment to the lower end of a divers compressed air tank, which cap can remain on the tank in storage or in use in the water comprising;

a cylindrical body having a wall with a length substantially less than the length of the tank and longitudinally extending internal ribs projecting inwardly from said wall for engagement with the gripping of the sides of the tank,

the inner surface of the wall having water conducting channels between the ribs that are open at each end to allow water to flow directly therethrough,

said channels have a depth about equal to the thickness of said wall,

the bottom end of said body having a planar ground engaging circular rim,

said rim comprising a continuous band that extends radially inwardly forming a spaced centered openmg,

said band having spaced ridges on the upper surface thereof for being contacted by the lower end of the tank,

said band having spaced holes therethrough communicating with said channels for letting water flow through said body and out the bottom end thereof,

said ridges extending from said wall radially inwardly toward the center of said opening,

said ridges being spaced around said band in equally spaced distances,

and a spaced hole positioned between each of said ridges and at an equal distance between each of said ridges, with said holes being substantially against said ribs. 

1. A diver''s air tank protective cap made of resilient plastic material for attachment to the lower end of a diver''s compressed air tank, which cap can remain on the tank in storage or in use in the water comprising: a cylindrical body having a wall with a length substantially less than the length of the tank and longitudinally extending internal ribs projecting inwardly from said wall for engagement with and gripping the sides of the tank, the inner surface of the wall having water conducting channels between the ribs that are open at each end to allow water to flow directly therethrough, said channels have a depth about equal to the thickness of said wall, the bottom end of said body having a planar ground engaging circular rim, said rim comprising a continuous band that extends radially inwardly forming a spaced centered opening, said band having spaced ridges on the upper surface thereof for being contacted by the lower end of the tank, said band having spaced holes therethrough communicating with said channels for letting water flow through said body and out the bottom end thereof, said ridges extending from Said wall radially inwardly toward the center of said opening, said ridges being spaced around said band in equally spaced distances, and said spaced holes being positioned between each of said ridges, said band having a thickness of said wall, and the other end of said wall portion having an outwardly projecting flange that projects outwardly from the outer surface of said wall, which flange has outer edge surfaces having spaced flat portions for preventing rolling of said cap and diver''s air tank.
 2. A diver''s air tank protective cap according to claim 1 wherein: said ribs have a substantially triangular cross-section with inner edges surfaces that conform to the outer wall surface of the tank in the gripping engagement with the wall of the tank.
 3. A diver''s air tank protective cap made of resilient plastic material for attachment to the lower end of a diver''s compressed air tank, which cap can remain on the tank in storage or in use in the water comprising: a cylindrical body having a wall with a length substantially less than the length of the tank and longitudinally extending internal ribs projecting inwardly from said wall for engagement with the gripping of the sides of the tank, the inner surface of the wall having water conducting channels between the ribs that are open at each end to allow water to flow directly therethrough, said channels have a depth about equal to the thickness of said wall, the bottom end of said body having a planar ground engaging circular rim, said rim comprising a continuous band that extends radially inwardly forming a spaced centered opening, said band having spaced ridges on the upper surface thereof for being contacted by the lower end of the tank, said band having spaced holes therethrough communicating with said channels for letting water flow through said body and out the bottom end thereof, said ridges extending from said wall radially inwardly toward the center of said opening, said ridges being spaced around said band in equally spaced distances, and a spaced hole positioned between each of said ridges and at an equal distance between each of said ridges, with said holes being substantially against said ribs. 